Happy 20th Birthday to A Taste of Paradise Farm & Happy 10th Birthday to A Taste of Paradise Charity.
This month marks the 20th year that our founders, Tim and Andrea Francis, made the bold and courageous step to create a place that would help young people at risk. A place where young people could begin to heal from the hurts and pain of their lives and to offer them a chance to have a life filled with hope and purpose.
10 years ago, Tim and Andrea realised that to continue to advance this work and support more young people, they needed more people involved. They invited two local couples who shared their vision and passion, Col and Sue Agar and Frank and Gillian Dickinson to come on board, form a Board of Directors and become a registered charity. For the past 10 years, with the full backing and assistance of the Board of Directors, Tim and Andrea have continued to run A Taste of Paradise Farm and do it with an unflinching commitment to their original vision. In the 20 years since we began, A Taste of Paradise has become a place where well over 400 young people have had their lives impacted in the most positive of ways, using the living plants and animals of the farm as a bridge.
However, they haven’t done it on their own. Their passion and vision have attracted an amazing group of caring and dedicated staff and volunteers who have helped to grow it into what it is today, a very special place where young people can come, be themselves, feel valued, all while feeling safe. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the generosity of the wider community who have given in a myriad of ways, from finances, goods, ideas, time, energy, knowledge, positive PR, and in so many other ways. So, as it is our birthday, on behalf of every single young person who has benefitted from our program, we would like to thank you for every single gift you have given which has helped us to continue in our work and become what we are today.
You can help us continue this life changing work, by donating here
By Mary-Claire